Broward County School Board Elects Chair and Vice Chair

After six years, and being repeatedly passed over, School Board Member Nora Rupert was elected as Vice Chair of the Broward County School Board at Tuesday’s Annual Organizational Meeting,

Rupert was elected back in 2010 to represent District 7 and re-elected in 2014. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Florida Southern College and is a graduate of the Star Program at Florida Atlantic University for alternative education certification. She is also a former high school reading teacher. Typically, the Vice Chair, is voted on to become the Chair the following year.

Rupert’s election demonstrates that several members have moved forward on the board. We reported in August that School Board members Abby Freedman and Rosalind Osgood were caught passing a note about Rupert in 2013 during a school board meeting. The note was found in the garbage and referred to Rupert as a “selfish bitch.”

Rupert made copies of the note and left it on their desks, however, there was no apology and Freedman was heard saying “that’s what she gets for dumpster diving.”

Also, during the organizational meeting, the other board members voted that Abby M. Freedman become the new Chair after serving as Vice Chair. This followed a swearing-in ceremony for re-elected School Board members. Freedman was elected in 2012 to represent District 4 and was re-elected in 2014. Freedman previously served as the School Board’s Vice Chair. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida and earned a Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law. She represents Coral Springs, Parkland, North Lauderdale and parts of Margate and Tamarac.

Four School Board members, all re-elected in the 2016 election, were sworn during a ceremony held at the Dillard Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. Board members sworn in were Robin Bartleman, Countywide, Seat 9; Heather P. Brinkworth, District 3; Patricia Good, District 2; and Dr. Rosalind Osgood, District 5.

Sharon Aron Baron is the Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs, Parkland and the rest of South Florida.